Dropping Support for Windows XP Could Drive Users to Chromebooks

Don't be surprised if there's a surge in Chromebook sales

Windows XP is a dead OS walking and it's highly unlikely to get a last second reprieve. Instead, Microsoft is anxious to bury the legacy OS in the backyard in hopes that those still clinging to XP will opt for a newer, more secure version of Windows. Some inevitably will, but one thing that will be interesting to keep an eye on is how many users replace their aging XP machines with a Chromebook.

This isn't just a theoretical thought -- the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham is set to replace aging XP machines with Chromebooks, TechEye.net reports. By doing so, the council figures to save more than £200,000 (around $333,000 in U.S. currency) in hardware, plus an additional £200,000 in power savings over its desktop PCs.

The council had 3,500 desktops and 800 laptops for its 3,500 employees. As part of the upgrade plan, they'll replace those machines with 2,000 Chromebooks and 500 Chromeboxes for reception desks and shared work areas. To maintain support for apps that can't be delivered through its Citrix network, the council will invest in 600 Windows 7 desktops and 1,000 Windows 7 laptops.

Businesses that rely on Windows software aren't likely to switch to Chromebooks, which are limited in software support and raw computing power. However, it's conceivable that smaller firms and home users could replace their XP machines with Chromebooks. Despite Chrome OS's shortcomings, the top two selling laptops on Amazon are both Chromebooks, as are five of the top 10.